Dear Detective
by Sindel
Summary: Chun Li had thought she would defeat M. Bison alone but she was severely mistaken. Now as his prisoner, Bison makes a deal for one year but she knows Bison is up to more than therapy sessions and jokes...
1. Think About It

The detective expected the day to start out differently; perhaps an ominous sky or looming clouds in the distance. She thought there would be rough gusts of wind blowing through the trees as the leaves danced in eager anticipation of the battle.

Detective Chun Li Xiang; the Greatest Detective of the East, the Strongest Woman in the World, and, as many men grumbled under their breath into alcoholic drinks, the Queen Ice Bitch of All Hateful Women.

The last title she just thought was plain rude.

Instead, it was a bright, warm morning in the Amazonian rainforest. The birds chirped, the snakes hissed, and the stench of thick moss burned her nostrils. Foreign and unnerving slime dripped from the trees, leading Chun Li to believe that it was poisonous sap, but she wasn't brave enough to test her theory.

She shook her head and sighed. The evil mastermind known as certainly chose well, even going as far as killing the local tribes to prevent his secret fortress from getting out. The Brazilian government turned a blind eye once Bison "donated" billions to the country's presidential campaign so she expected no mass outcry over the dead bodies.

A bright red frog approached her and Chun Li broke her thoughts for a moment. She stared at the little rainforest resident, resisting the urge to approach it. The little reptile was venomous as the bright red warning that splayed across it's skin indicated but she couldn't help but think it was cute and small.

The tongue darted out and hopped away. The Chinese fighter briefly watched it scurry under a hole and disappear like a ghost.

"Detective Xiang," A low voice rumbled behind her, "We should get going before the sun gets higher."

She didn't turn around, crossing her arms, "Let's get moving, Lu Wen."

Lu Wen was the only man willing to get her across the treacherous Amazon river and down the grasslands towards Bison's fortress. He did it for a price-a very high one-but Chun Li knew Interpol would allow a small contribution to the cause.

The only problem was that Chun Li went alone once the information was out. And Interpol had no idea until she had already arrived in Brazil. Her long-time partner and only friend Wallace was calling her nonstop, attempting to bribe her from everything starting with sweets and ending with punching him in the face.

She had to do this. She couldn't let the American military interfere once Interpol reached out. She couldn't let MI6 take over when they found out. Chun Li couldn't let others take her revenge. It was selfish and cruel but she didn't care. Bison deserved everything coming to him.

Besides, Lu Wen wasn't too terrible. He was an awful liar of sorts and fond of telling tales of sleeping with locals but it was manageable.

"Detective, you think there's something out there?" Lu asked as she hoisted her bag, "There's usually a whole lotta nothing if you ask me. Just quicksand and snakes."

She didn't say anything. In her mind, she saw flashes of the satellite imagery: a large, dark spot in the middle of the rainforest. Three smaller dots flanked to the rear and side.

Chun Li knew it wasn't a sunspot that the satellite was picking up like the "experts" claimed. Those were turrets and the fortress had shown up at the right heat signature to get a mark.

Bison was ready for intruders.

Lu stopped waiting for an answer after a few moments, muttering under his breath about traveling with women. Chun Li dabbed the sweat off her neck with her rag, nodding towards him.

"Let's go. The sun will get high." She spoke plainly.

Hours later, as the heat rose in the humid heat, Chun Li felt a little sick. Though she had water, she had underestimated the intense heat and animal life that slithered around her. Noises, sounds, and echoes reverberate through the trees.

In her mind, she continued to push herself and distracted her body pain with listless stories from Lu. Either she was going to vomit from dehydration or from his stories…

The mud was deep and her boots were caked. She hardly looked recognizable in her worn military greens, aviator sunglasses, and combat boots. While her hair was still in her ox-horn style, she had disavowed her makeup before taking the journey and her skin was starting to break out in rashes from the foliage.

Chun Li may not look Hollywood beautiful for her fight against the tyrant but she didn't have to be.

None of this was stopping Lu Wen from flirting with her, almost bordering on predatory. She had to sleep with one eye open last night.

"You think this is going to be your last hurrah?" Lu asked her, "You know...before he kills you?"

She clicked on her radio signal, "That's assuming a lot, Mr. Wen. Bison isn't expecting me and I don't expect to leave here without him."

Her legs were sinking into the deep mud and Chun Li had to force her legs out of it. Even though she was powerful and her legs were legendary, it was wearing her down quite some bit. She couldn't imagine how hard it was for Lu to make it through.

The radio wasn't picking up any outside signals. Jammers, she suspected. Taking out her cellphone, Chun Li saw 20 voicemails and 300 texts from Wallace with all of them starting off as "Just listen to reason…"

No signal from her cell phone either so Bison wasn't using radio towers that she could access. Pocketing the phone, she continued to move forward. The heat would soon be blinding and the fortress still hours away.

Soon, the two took cover under the trees and Chun Li could feel the heat coming off her face. She could be sunburned terribly bad. Pressing her fingers on her cheek, Chun Li felt the skin tighten hard.

Lu was pouring water over his head. Chun Li opted to remain silent, not wanting to mention that water was an invaluable resource out here. Instead, she cast her eyes upward to the dark tree branches.

"Should we stay the night?" Chun Li suggested, keeping her head up. Lu put his hand above his eyes, trying to peer into the distance.

"No. They like to patrol far out. We may get surprised." Lu said, standing up, "They shoot on sight so we wouldn't even make it to the fortress as prisoners. There's a freshwater canal that Bison built to supply his fortress with water. We might be able to stay there."

"How far is it from the base?" Chun Li placed her hands on her knees, trying to support herself.

"About two miles north. He cleared out ten miles of rainforest each way to build it." Lu said, "It'll take us out of the way three hours though. The forest gets very dense there."

She sighed, looking towards the sky again. There were chirping and chortling from unknown animals echoing around her.

"It's the best option we have." Chun Li murmured, "Let's go."

Hours later, it became nightfall. The group had reached the outer walls of the canal that Lu promised and as Chun Li could see, Lu was right. The freshwater stretched for miles each direction, protected by heavy military weapons.

However, the one thing she spotted was a small, oval shaped track that ran above the water. Squinting hard, she could barely make out a transit system of sorts.

"Mr. Wen," She motioned to him, "Did Bison build a subway system of sorts to his base?"

Lu coughed hard, "He must have built that recently. The guards used to come out by truck. I don't remember this being here."

"Well, Mr. Wen, Chun Li wiped her hands off her clothes, "I believe we have found our ride to his fortress."

A stroke of luck for the detective.

It took some effort but Chun Li was able to slide down a smaller wall and reach the inner sanctum of the canal. She realized that there were Shadaloo workers, possibly engineers, to maintain the water supply in constant shape.

It didn't make her feel guilty for kicking them in the head, knocking them into the water to drown. Lu Wen could only follow, pointing his ancient Beretta pistol in fear.

"Look," He said roughly, "I got you here. I'm turning back. I got a lot of stake in that money you handed over but I'm not going into the fortress with you."

"Well then, Mr. Wen," Chun Li swiped an access key card off the ground, "I suppose this our goodbyes. Wish me luck."

Lu ran off and Chun Li pressed a button to call the subway. Moments later, it arrived and opened the doors. Chun Li instantly felt a cool, AC unit blasting in her face, making her sigh in relief as the doors shut.

Taking a seat as the car started to move, she started to scrape the mud off her boots. The thick dried paste was seemingly etched into her military combat boots. Chun Li took off her jacket and shoved it in her bag, pulling out her famous qipao.

While it was not the practical outfit for a rainforest, Chun Li couldn't bear the thought of showing up like a haggard, tired old woman. Letting Bison see her at anything but her best would show that the trip was no problem and that she wasn't weak.

She pulled the qipao around her body, fastening the necessary clips. Tightening her white band, she adjusted her legs and was able to modestly strip off her dirtied military pants. The boots laid against her bare skin; Chun Li decided that pantyhose would only suffocate her in this heat and chose to fight with bare legs.

Looking at herself, she thought she didn't do that half bad of a job. Sure, her boots were black instead of white and her face looked a little messy but all in all, she looked ready.

Reaching back into her other bags, Chun Li pulled out her gun.

"It's just you and me, my love." She said quietly, "Father. Please watch over me."

She kissed the barrel and the doors opened. Several armed guards appeared, pointing their guns in the air.

"Hands up!" One called out.

Chun Li went into a tunnel vision mode. She fired her gun, hitting one in the head and the other in the chest. Bullets started flying, making her take cover. She patiently waited for them to cautiously enter before kicking one in the head, using him as a body shield.

Another bullet. This time, through the jaw.

The alarm was raised. Chun Li wiped the guard's blood off her face and kicked the door to the fortress open. Another shot; this time, right in the gullet. She could hear guards arming heavier guns, calling out for much more serious backup.

As much as she enjoyed the fair gun battle, she had serious issues to take care of. Reloading her pistol, Chun Li shot another round before kicking a box towards a guard's face, distracting him enough to allow her to give him a beatdown.

"Where's Bison?" She demanded but he passed out before she could get an answer. Two more guards showed up, making her aggravated. Two more shots, hitting the one on the left. The one of the right attempted to flee but she shot him through the kneecap.

Pressing her boot on his neck, Chun Li pointed a gun in his face.

"Tell me where your boss is." She ordered and the guard spat in her face.

"For Lord Bi-"

Boom. She fired her bullet in his mouth. Shaking her head, Chun Li reloaded her pistol again. At this rate, she was going to run out of patience before she ran out of bullets.

Footsteps down the hall. Chun Li waited by a doorway before delivering a roundhouse kick to the unlucky first guard's face, forcing him to fall backwards into his cohorts. She counted eight stumbling footsteps.

She fired another shot into one guard and kicked the second one into the wall. The third one got into a fighting stance as Chun Li fired off a round behind her, hitting the fourth guard in the head.

"Where is Bison?" She said coldly, "I really don't want to ask again."

The remaining guard threw a punch and she grabbed it, snapping his wrist into two pieces. He howled in pain, making her apply hard pressure on his arm.

"Don't make me wait for an answer. Bison. Now." Chun Li demanded coldly, making the guard scream in agony.

"Okay, okay, you psycho bitch!" He gave in, writing under her grip, "He's...he's in the control room. But he'll never...augh!"

"I need directions." Chun Li interrupted his cries.

"To...the left...down...the hall…" He started before passing out. She let him fall to the ground, walking towards her destination. The guard didn't finish but Chun Li betted she could probably figure it out from there.

She took a left, keeping her gun cautiously ready at the helm. Oddly enough, she had killed enough guards to reach this far but this hallway was strangely devoid of anyone.

Had Bison decided to let her waltz in without any more fights?

"Down the hall…" She murmured, "Ah. Control room."

Now she was faced with a dilemma. Kick the door open and start shooting? Or quietly open the door and survey the area? Chun Li decided that the door was foolish enough to keep her from her goal and she struck it, bending it at the core. Another kick and the door popped open like a jar.

Inside was a large, cold, steel room that had many camera screens on it. Chun Li quickly scanned the area and saw a tall, large figure with their back turned to her. He was clearly involved in the camera screens.

The unmistakable was finally before her. Chun Li realized he was counting the bodies she left in her wake and the dictator finally turned to her. He seemed rather jovial instead of annoyed.

"Detective Chun Li," Bison greeted her with open arms, "Well, well! I thought you were just a pretty face but look at you. Trekking through the rainforest just to see me. And here I thought the American military would be shoving a nuclear bomb up this fortress's ass."

His stance was bold and striking as he stepped towards her. His cape fluttering behind him and his steel boots making a heavy thud with every step.

Bison's infuriating grin plastered over his mug of a face. Her hand tightened around her gun in response.

"Detective, are you honestly alone?" He seemed amused and perplexed, "If you wanted to kill yourself, this is a hefty way to go. You do _realize_ nobody leaves this place?"

Chun Li pointed her gun at him, "You're under arrest for crimes against humanity and…"

"That is not going to hold up in any court and you know it, Detective." Bison wagged his finger at her mockingly, "It's all alleged and in my opinion, I'm being framed. You never saw me commit any crim-"

"You admitted to killing my father." Chun Li interrupted him coldly.

"That was a rumor that I just never dispelled." Bison replied, almost taking pleasure in her actions, "If I said yes, you would say I was lying. If I said no, you would have shot me. Either way, I just don't win with you, Detective."

She set her laser focus on him. Chun Li hated this man more than anything she could fathom. What's worse, every time they had to interact, he acted like it was a big damn gameshow filled with his jokes and highly energetic pacing. The only thing that could make him happier was an audience of engaged viewers.

For once, Chun Li wished Bison could just be a typical cartoon villain that spouted monologues and got to the fighting.

"Hands in the air or I'll shoot." Chun Li warned, cocking her pistol. Bison barely lifted his hands, making an exaggerated gesture of surrender.

"It's nice you're giving me a choice, Detective. Most beat cops just shoot first. Times really have changed since I was a young lad wheeling and dealing." Bison said, "In fact, just seeing a woman cop holding the bar hig-"

Boom. She fired at his head and Bison stepped out of the way right before it could connect, making the bullet ricochet off the wall. It was almost supernatural how fast he was able to do it in that close proximity.

"I had my hands up." He taunted her, "If you can't play with that gun nicely, Detective, you get your toys taken away."

In a moment, the gun was ripped from her hands by an invisible telekinetic force. Chun Li could see Bison's hands glow a tinge of purple as the gun flew into his grip. He waved the pistol at her, grinning as if he pulled a fast one on her.

Chun Li merely put her hands in a fighting stance. A low laugh later and Bison snapped the barrel off her pistol like it was a popsicle stick.

"Detective, you always have enthused me. You're either so intelligent or so stupid. It's just mesmerizing sometimes." Bison said, dropping the broken gun at his feet, "I'm sure we can talk this out over a cup of tea and a round of brainwashing. Chamomile? You look like a chamomile tea type of person."

She said nothing, leering her eyes in an attack stare. He threw his hands up mockingly, rolling his eyes dramatically.

"Fine, Detective, but I have a meeting at 4. If you're going to kill me, make it quick. I want to miss it." He said with exasperation, "If I'm going to kill you, just make sure your body parts stay together. You do not know how difficult it is to get brain matter out of these ceiling crevices."

Chun Li reacted first. She went into her kicks, attempting to hit his weak spots but Bison defly blocked them with his hands, grabbing and flipping her body onto the ground. She chose to shoot her leg up into his chin but he teleported at the right moment, letting her hit air.

"Play fair, you bastard." Chun Li spat angrily, doing a backhand flip to get her stance back. Bison cocked his head in amusement.

"I'm sorry, we didn't shake on any rules." He taunted her, "Would you like it if I tied one hand behind my back?"

She fired off another kick, finally connecting with his chest. Bison stumbled somewhat before open palming her in the head, kneeing her in the face. Chun Li sucked in air as she felt her nose bleed, twisting her legs to wrap around Bison's neck.

Of course, Bison easily wrangled her body loose, spinning her forward so he could effectively pull her off. Chun Li could feel her legs loosen and she intentionally let her body fall to the ground, delivering a kick to his groin.

Bison teleported again, making her groan in anger.

"Come on!" She shouted, "Stop being such a coward!"

"There's nothing brave about getting kicked in the crotch, Chun Li." Bison replied, reappearing behind her, "Regardless of what they teach you in school, I actually prefer to keep my reproductive organs intact. They come in handy now and then."

"Disgusting." Chun Li sneered, feeling out of breath. However, she picked herself up and did a roundhouse kick, following up with her Spinning Bird Kick. Luckily, Bison could only block the roundhouse but he was victim to her fearsome trademark kick.

However, he seemed to be able to shrug it off. Chun Li felt her body grow weak and tired, affected by the day's events and dehydration.

She knew she couldn't give up now. She was so close to avenging her father…

Chun Li managed to bring herself back enough to dodge a punch, jumping to kick him in the face. Bison instead batted her away, launching into his Knee Press Nightmare that connected directly with Chun Li's battered body.

She felt throbbing pain everywhere, rolling over to getting back up. Bison hummed over her grunts of pain, obviously knowing he was gaining the upper hand.

"Sorry, did you want to continue?" He asked out loud, "Or are we going for a "blood all over the walls" decorating look here? You're beaten, Detective. Take a seat. Lay down. You're definitely going to want the last moments to be as peaceful as possible."

Chun Li put her hands back up into stance, "I am not giving up. You will have to kill me before I give up."

"Hm." Bison mused, "Alright then."

Chun Li quickly decided that she could jump over his head and perform a Kikoken. That should render him off balance enough to let loose as many kicks as possible until his body was broken in half.

At first, she pretended to slide and then jumped up when Bison appeared to be reaching down for her.

However, Bison grabbed her leg, throwing her into the floor hard. Chun Li felt her skull crack and before she knew it, darkness took over.

Like falling into an abyss, Chun Li couldn't grasp anything around her. All feeling and emotions drifted away from her body as the heaviness set in.

All she could think of was her father. She had failed. But she could be with him again and perhaps...that was enough for the two.

Now the ground appeared closer and closer. Chun Li almost worried that she would fall through the ground and descend forever down into the depths of Hell, just barely coherent enough to know what she was going through.

Then, she hit the ground. And woke up to a blurry, dizzy image of bright lights and static. Nausea overtook her and she rolled her head back but there was a padded feeling touching her bare neck.

Was it a bandage? It was too hard to tell. Her stomach felt sick and she would vomit from dehydration alone. Strands of hair roughly rubbed her skin and she realized her hair was down.

"Oh good. You're awake. For a minute, I thought you would be as communicative as a carrot." A voice said through the static, "I'm glad your brain didn't leak out of your head. It would have gotten boring quick."

That was unmistakable: Bison.

Her vision refocused and Chun Li squeezed all the pain down inside of her, trying to use deep breathing to hold it back. Soon, she was able to make out the visuals in front of her.

There was a large wooden desk with a desktop computer shining brightly in Bison's face. It was the only light source as there were no windows, doors, or any outside entrances she could see. A bookcase stood behind him but the dim light didn't enable her to see what the titles were.

Oddly, the desk had no papers or filing.

"I'm not dead." Was the first thing out of her mouth.

"Good job, Detective. I can definitely see why you're the best at Interpol." Bison said with minimum trace amounts of sarcasm, "They really pay the high salaries for the likes of you."

She took a deep breath, resuming her cold personality, "Why am I not dead then?"

He shrugged, "I don't want you to be, I suppose."

Flaccid answer. Chun Li fought the urge to vomit bile.

"Why am I here?" She questioned again and he tapped a key on his keyboard.

"Because I want you here, I suppose." Bison gave another lukewarm response. Rolling her eyes, she didn't even hide her displeasure at his lack of effort. He didn't seem to care that much or care that she was clearly sick.

"Am I going to sit here and be riddled at or is this going somewhere?" She queried as Bison gave her a bemused look.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize that because I didn't kill you that now I had to answer to every whim you approached me with." Bison leered, "I'm turning on my computer. The Amazon rainforest doesn't exactly get the highest speed. Sorry for the technical delay, Detective. Usually, I do this over a medical table while wearing a labcoat."

She winced, "A labcoat?"

"I like labcoats. They're so clean and professional. As for that look, I happen to look like a proper doctor." Bison specified, typing away, "I made a special little exception for you though. But if you want, I can go get the labcoat and we can do this the right way…"

"I'm fine." She bit at him, "What do you want?"

Bison smirked, "What do men usually tell you when you ask that question? Be honest."

Another wave of nausea but this time, Chun Li was able to fight it off. A series of tutting and Bison had finished typing.

"One shouldn't exactly stroll through a rainforest without water or some sort of pill to keep the malaria at bay." He scolded, "Terrible thinking on your part. You only had water for three days. I'm shocked you lasted that long."

"I knew where you were." Chun Li informed him, "I didn't need any more than that."

He chuckled, "Ah, the spirit of a woman. Defiance, boldness, and rage. I'm impressed by your conviction. Most people give up when they're this fucked. But you? You don't. Of course, you don't know the half of what "being fucked" means."

Bison's flagrant use of profanity triggered her senses. She could feel her grip coming back slowly, turning wheels in her mind.

"I know what plenty "fucked" means, Bison." Chun Li maintained, her lips feeling dry and bloody, "You've done it to me since you killed my father."

A pause before Bison motioned sharply with his forefinger.

"I have no idea if that sounded better in your head but it didn't come out right. You must be very sick." Bison commented, "You should probably take a rest, Detective. Let me do all the talking."

Instead, she flitted her eyes to the computer screen. She could barely make out the make and model but she knew it was a custom screen. Touchscreen capabilities, eye tracking…

"And finished." He announced, "Now we can get started. I was just pulling up your file; large file. Possibly the biggest one I have. Let's see...height is 5'6, hair color brown, eyes are brown...Ah. And there's no weight listed."

"I like mystery." Chun Li replied to that, "What do you want?"

"I want to rule the world by noon, topple free will by dinner, and go to bed with a lovely woman." Bison retorted, focusing reading his computer screen and flipping through the pages, "Simple man, simple pleasures. I suppose eventually get little children running around but that's just a biological desire to spread my seed around."

Her eyebrow raised as far as it could go, albeit painfully, "None of that sounds plausible."

"I beg to differ, I destroy free will every day." Bison wouldn't take her bait, "Now, Detective. You must know that this won't end well for you. It doesn't end well for anyone that chooses to resist me. You either come around to my ideological side or you don't live to see sunlight."

Her wrists tightened in her restraints, "That won't happen."

"Really now?" He clicked his tongue, "Hm. Well, Detective, we have nowhere to be for some time. How about a lovely conversation? For instance, which satellite gave up this location and why you're hanging around a man like Lu Wen? He's a snake in the grass. He probably would have sold you for a nickel and some low budget pornography."

She paused, "I suppose you would know him."

"Know him? He worked for me." Bison chided, "Now he doesn't. Dead and all that. Caught the nasty end of a caiman after he was so unfortunately dragged in there. I feel sorry for you. I'm sure whatever money you paid him, you won't ever see again."

Chun Li could sense his dismissive attitude towards a dead man being eaten alive was a ruse to get her to talk but he leaned back in his chair. She was surprised to see such a comfortable chair out in the middle of nowhere but at the same time, she couldn't help but think he would want nothing less.

"Throwing me to a "nasty end of a caiman" next?" She questioned, making him laugh.

"I didn't throw anyone anywhere. People have an awful habit of tripping and falling into water like that." He said, "But I did witness it. Nothing I could do. It's rather sad."

"You didn't kill him?" Her disbelief was highly apparent. Bison raised two fingers.

"Scouts' honor." He grinned and then he lowered them, "But enough about the dead man. He's alligator food now. Let's discuss you. We've met...three times?"

"Four." Chun Li felt her restraints tighten again, "Four times."

"Ah. Sorry. Refresh my memory because so many people try to kill me." Bison held up his right fist, "The first time was when I allegedly killed your father."

"You did kill my-"

"Second time was...the first tournament." Bison held up two fingers, "You faced against Ken and lost. Spectacularly. Then you had the audacity to tell me that tournament rankings didn't matter."

"The tournament was a foolish enterprise for your amuse-"

"Third time was when I killed Nash." Bison continued on, holding up three fingers, "I remember that because you practically had to hold Guile back as the cliff collapsed. Smart move. It was for vain though because...well, I can float. Why didn't that occur to the three of you?"

"It happened so fast-"

"So when was the fourth time?" He interjected, wiggling his pinky finger, "Are we counting now?"

There was a moment of silence before she cleared her throat.

"When you came to my hospital room after Vega tried to kill me." Chun Li answered calmly, "And you left those fake flowers with a get well card."

"Ah, now I remember." Bison pondered, "How could I have forgotten that? You were pathetic laying there, covered in bandages and being pumped by a blood bag. I almost forgot how pretty you were. Naturally, though, you did beat Vega. Not many people can stomach him. I mean, beat him."

Chun Li gave an annoyed sigh, feeling her bandage itch on the back of her head. At least Bison had people who could stitch a person back together properly.

"What did you do to me?" She questioned roughly as her fingers traced the armrest underneath her bound wrists. Bison raised his eyebrow in response.

"Well, I put your bones back together, cleaned your wounds, bandaged your head, and had you on IV fluids. After the swelling went down, I had a dentist fix your teeth." He explained, "Left molar came loose. Probably when I threw your head into the ground. Amazingly good dental work otherwise, Detective."

There was a lack of "we" or "someone" pronouns when explaining his actions.

"You did all that or…"

"I went to medical school, Detective." Bison interrupted with some derision, "Shocking, I know. Of course, I did flunk out...when you miss a day that goes over the Hippocratic oath, they really hold that against you."

His tone sounded like he was serious but his face yielded a different story. After a few minutes, Chun Li spoke up.

"Is that really true?" She leveled against him.

"Yes. The whole part about flunking wasn't true. I was kicked out for causing harm to patients or something like that. It's like Hitler and painting; had they kept me, I probably wouldn't have become a war criminal." Bison said, "And sleeping with patients. And selling drugs. What I do now except the pay is more."

She didn't really believe him; it sounded more like he went into that speech to set up the Hitler joke but she let it go.

"Detective, you really came all the way out here and yet, you're not upset that I'm not dead." Bison pointed out, "A little underwhelming, perhaps? You haven't even begged me to kill you yet. Do you still think you can stop me?"

"I know whatever game you're playing, it'll run its course." Chun Li said, her fingernails twisting into the armchair, "So get on with it."

A throaty laugh later and Bison leaned back in his chair.

"Wouldn't it be nice if everyone I met was like you?" He suggested, "Of course, when I rule the world, there would be a distinct lack of people who think like you."

"And just how does ruling a world work?" Chun Li flatly asked, her face unchanging. Bison cocked a smirk, propping his feet up on his desk.

"How does any empire work?" He teased, taking off his hat and tossing it aside. Chun Li realized that she had never seen him without his Soviet era style hat, usually hiding up the slicked back nightshade black of hair.

"You're one man." She replied, cold and distant. The handcuffs still gave no way to freedom, locking her down.

"Correction. I'm one god." Bison swiftly said, using his fingertips to type in something on his computer, "And otherwise, otherworldly and inhuman. You've seen me fight, Detective. Surely, even in your logical and...broadened mind, that being supernatural has a flair for government work."

Why was he acting like this? Normal, collected, and laid back as any man resting on a Friday night. She frowned hard, her lips pouty in frustration that she couldn't find the answer to the riddle. The slumping and unposed manner of such a giangatic man who had been beating her down only hours earlier had taken her off-guard.

She had expected a hour long monologue on virtues of evil and goodness, some sort of demented philosophy lecture.

Instead, he was perfectly happy and content having a normal conversation (to a degree) with a woman who was admittedly being held against her will.

"Placeholder governments." Chun Li guessed quietly, "Figurehead commanders. A clearly distinct and divided wealthy and poor class of society with an artibitary reward system for loyalty."

"I wouldn't say arbitrary. Free food is something I imagine many people would hold in regard." Bison replied, swiping his forefinger on his computer as his gaze was kept focused on her, "Food, water, shelter, and sex. People hardly desire more than that."

Chun Li didn't want to launch into a pseudo-political science debate on the matter so she turned her head away, trying to figure out where exactly she was. Being drugged and trampled for hours had taken a toll on her mind and body but it didn't take away her skills as an investigator.

"I imagine someone like you who is incorruptible needs more than basic needs." Bison continued on, "Oh. You're in my personal office, by the way. I made sure to remove that pesky tracker between your legs. Though really, I'm curious-how much of a dry spell can you go through that a GPS tracker has to be put in your delicate parts?"

She blinked hard and rapidly, not expecting the question come from a tyrant's mouth like that. Or that he blatantly violated her body in such a manner?

"It was bigger than what I was used to." Was the only reply she could summon up, tearing back to his staring.

Another smirk. "Shame. I can only imagine the glee of some unpaid intern having the joy of touching the Strongest Woman in the Woman."

Chun Li opted to not tell him it was a woman who was married happily. Instead, she shook her head and sighed. It was to be a long day then, if he didn't give up the ghost and kill her outright.

"You don't seem distraught." Bison observed calmly, "Usually, most women would at least be hiding back tears of shame or guilt. You, on the other hand, are treating this like a very mild and annoying gynecological exam."

"You've taken everything from me. What's left to show?" Chun Li answered calmly, undisturbed, "Emotions get in the way. Disturbing behavior from a megalomaniac sociopath is nothing new to me. I just wish you asked me first but I doubt you care much for permission."

A hard, throaty laugh came from him. "You give me power, Detective. Did I ever tell you that?"

She knew he was right but didn't answer that time.

"Now, onto business." Bison flipped his screen around, "What will it take for Detective Chun Li Xiang to break to my will? You, the incorruptible ice bitch goddess, have quite a large gambling pool going on."

Now it was Chun Li's turn to stare. A few results appeared with the highest bets-sexual assault, physical torture, character assassination, telling her she was fat…

"I'm not fat." She suddenly said, "Muscle is not fat."

"I never said you were. But I think it's a common grievance of most women, yes?" Bison clarified, "It was Vega's idea. He's sort of primitive, forgive him. Anything leaner than a twig is fat to him."

Chun Li's inner psychologist started working again-what sort of organization bets on their leader's methods of breaking someone down? And what sort of leader encourages that? To him and his subordinates, it was all a game. The victims were toys or mindless animals that entertained the masses for a short while, like a flash in the pan celebrity or incident. A joke.

"So you've done all this before to someone." She stated, "They wouldn't have such high bets if the methods didn't already work before."

Another smirk, tight lipped, "In my defense, Detective, you sign up for the risks when you attempt to damage a very large and powerful organization. Bargaining and deals is how I operate but sometimes, people like you need a nudge to take them."

"Am I to expect each one?" She retorted.

"No." Bison tapped his fingers, "I have something different for you. You're a rare one, Detective, and have caught my attention. You're not like the other silly girls prancing around my tournament who wanted fame or glory or some strange cinematic reason to fight. You're frozen. You're winter in perpetual motion. You devastate with words and legs. To burn you would be exquisite, I admit, but you require much more delicate methods."

"And this is it?" She had a hitch, "Attempt to lower my defenses by acting normal? Stockholm's Syndrome?"

"This is a evaluation." He corrected her again, "I need to do my best work."

Damn handcuffs. Still wasn't going to budge.

"And then I get killed?" She questioned again.

"Why go through all this trouble if I was just going to kill you?" Bison shrugged, "Investment and time would be wasted. No, no. Hell is hell when you suffer. Heaven is death and freedom. I need my "commanders", do I not?"

Her eyes squinted in defiance.

"If you're good and behave, maybe I'll give you China." He toyed with her again, obviously finding it very funny, "Very close to my base of operations in Thailand and you could finally resolve that whole Tibet thing they've been dealing with. Sounds like fun."

Another squint.

"Think about it when I'm done with you." Bison added on.


	2. The Deal

After their meeting, Chun Li was quite literally thrown over Bison's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. It didn't help that he was humming a popular Thai children's tune as he was doing it, looking rather ridiculous (in her opinion) as he walked down the hall.

"Here we are." He announced, opening a sliding door, "If this was a carnival game, I would guess your weight is...201?"

Chun Li could only glare at him in silence. Bison threw her haphazardly on the bed, letting her lay there in an uncomfortable position. The tyrant then left abruptly and Chun Li stared at the ceiling, moaning quietly in pain.

Before she knew it, her vision was suddenly blocked by cloth. Coughing hard, she let her hand reach up and grab the offending object.

It was a nightgown. It was a pretty bad one, Chun Li had to admit; bright yellow, silky, and absolutely distasteful with the lace coverings. Definitely not her shorts, bra, and apron.

"What is this?" She asked slowly, trying to fathom exactly why Bison couldn't pick out a better color.

"Well, I'm certainly not going to wear it." Bison's quick reply came, "So I guess you'll have to. Unless you want to sleep naked which is fine by me."

The thought of Bison wearing such a thing did make her laugh internally. However, she barely managed to sit up before falling backwards again. The pain was so great and radiant that Chun Li could hardly breathe.

"I'm not going to tuck you in, Detective." Bison stated, circling to her side of the bed, "You're going to have to take care of yourself, you know. If you were looking for a father figure, you definitely came to the wrong place. Now calling me Daddy in bed, that I can get behind..."

Chun Li winced in pain, getting up again. She choked back a sob, biting down her lip hard. It would be much more bearable if Bison didn't blather on.

She reached out to grab his arm but he moved out of the way, letting her fall out of bed. Her body sprawled out on the side of the bed and floor, panting hard.

"Well, I'll leave you to it then." Bison bid good-bye, waving her off jokingly as he left. Chun Li tried to flip him off but her fingers ached too much so it looked like she was only half-heartedly into the gesture.

After thirty minutes on the floor, Chun Li prepared herself for a world of pain and managed to get into a sitting position. Trying to hold back tears of agony, she barely made it through taking off her clothes before falling back onto the floor.

"I wish I was dead." She muttered to no one in particular.

Another hour went by and she finally worked up the courage to slide the nightgown up her legs and on her shoulders. It took about twenty minutes to achieve the feat and another ten minutes to push herself towards the bed and collapse on it.

Her body completely gave out and Chun Li fell into a deep sleep.

Before she knew it, she opened her eyes and she was somewhere else. Confused, she sat up in bed and realized she was devoid of wounds or bruises. Even her legs felt completely fine.

Had she been moved? No. She couldn't have been. Bison left her in misery for his own entertainment; why move her?

She finally caught a glimpse in the mirror. That was not the same Chun Li who had gotten beaten down earlier. That was a Chun Li made up like a royal princess.

It must be a dream. But what a strange and peculiar dream!

Chun Li looked and felt very pretty in her exquisite and extravagant dress. Blue ball gown with extravagant white sashes and gold jewels stitched in, forming around her waist and cleavage like a second skin.

The image left her to seek out answers. She looked around the room.

On the wall behind her, there was a large flag. It was China's flag, to be exact. But China's flag had changed to something else-instead of the five stars that she was accustomed to, it was emblazoned with a softer image of plum blossom and three stripes on the bottom-blue, gold, and white in that order.

The map on her right had changed too. Though China had always been huge, it now encompassed half of Russia as well as Nepal and parts of India. It now bordered on Thailand, which had extended the borders all the way to Japan.

Chun Li realized she was in a throne room of some sorts. Hers? A steward she had never laid eyes upon before scuttled up to her.

"Your majesty," the man bowed deeply, "The Global President is here."

Oh yes. She knew exactly where this was going. Chun Li patiently waited as a familiar stride of boots and pomp strolled through this majestic throne room, mockingly motioning to her in greeting. Of course, it was Bison, who was wearing his traditional outfit.

"I have to say, I may have imagined the dress but you wear it well." Bison immediately said, "My goodness. Blue is a fascinating color on you."

"What is going on?" Chun Li cut it short, "What happened?"

"You fell asleep. It's a dream. Send away your consorts and we'll talk. Or not. Doesn't matter." Bison explained, shooing away her imagined servants, "Being queen is a fun little enterprise, isn't it?"

"Global President." She flatly said.

"I like the word "President". I love it, in fact. It's so..positive. President this. President that." Bison walked up to her, crossing his arms, "When I rule, I'm Global President. Sounds childish but you can't imagine the rush you get when people call you that."

"I want to wake up now." Chun Li leveled her eyes at him.

"If you truly did, Detective, you'd be awake. Is it true that you always had a princess inside of you, yearning to come out?" Bison circle behind her, his tone taunting, "A beloved and beautiful princess, ruling over her people who adore and worship her? Besides. I worked so hard to create this for you. Indulge me a little, dear Detective, and at least learn some fake dream history."

"The flag." She decided to play along.

"It's your favorite flower. The stripes represent your favorite combination of colors." Bison answered.

"The map." Chun Li continued rapid fire.

"I gave you more area to rule. You're a generous and doting ruler, albeit I make the decisions. The people love you and wish no rebellion against you. Though you rule a small area compared to the others, you are the second most successful. Your country is wealthy, your people are fed, and…"

"Loyal. They're loyal to you." She interrupted calmly.

He smiled, "Yes. The most loyal."

She glanced at the map again, "Thailand is yours."

"No, Detective. Everything is mine. I just appreciate Thailand as my world hub capital. It is my home of my heart. I placed you very close to me for a reason. Every year, our leaders converge for a wonderful ball and dance the first dance of spring. It's to give the people hope. Highly televised." Bison explained.

"...Leaders converge. You and me." Chun Li carefully concluded.

"China is my closest ally. It shows the partnership and alliance forged between the two and how it works so splendidly together as a machine. I lead, you follow. As it should be." Bison clarified further, "Your fashion is the talk for the year."

"...We're married, aren't we." Chun Li stated, looking at him hard. He shrugged.

"How else can an alliance be forged without an unbreakable vow? How else can something be propositioned without marriage? A man with a wife is looked more favorably, especially if the wife owns her own country. You're still a figurehead position so the limited responsibility and unlimited wealth helps greatly." Bison remarked, "If you prefer, love doesn't have to be part of the equation. I only request loyalty and occasional trysts of lust to keep up appearances. Or to blow off steam. Running a world is can be stressful."

"I don't appreciate being degraded to weak sex toy." Chun Li quietly spoke, taking notice that she had manicured nails, "Even if I am beloved, it shows how little you respect women. They are for your benefit and depraved needs, not for equals. I look pretty for you, I am loved because it benefits you, and I am here as your fluid receptacle."

Bison chuckled plainly, clearly amused by the challenge, "No one is my equal, Detective. It's best you understand that now. And I put you-you in particular-on a pedestal. I want you to be admired by any and all, from far and wide."

"Either way, I'm still your object." It was her turn to shrug.

"Pet. Try to look at it that way. It makes it softer." Bison advised, waving his hand idly, "And besides, I ask for so little in return for so much. Obedience is rewarded. Wealth and power bestowed for loyalty. Sex is just the ultimate form of humanity, isn't it? It makes us feel human. You'd never want for anything again. Your people, who are suffering under the iron grip of Chinese communism, would be happy and cared for. No more starvation. No more pain."

She looked at the flag again for a second before, "...No."

"Ah. There's no getting through to you." Bison didn't seem to mind her rejection much, "It doesn't matter. Far as I'm concerned, you're my prisoner still. I'll find a way to through your lock, Detective."

The sound of humming woke her up. Chun Li darted to a sitting position on her bed, her bleary eyes taking notice of the bunched up covers around her.

It didn't look like any intruder had made their way into her room. She tore off the covers and checked herself for assault. To her relief, she came up with nothing but the previous bruises and redness from her fight with Bison.

Chun Li needed a shower like a lifesaving antidote. Stripping herself of her clothes, she turned on the shower and gave herself ten minutes maximum. There had to be cameras and while Chun Li was not akin to giving the tyrant what he wanted, she knew she needed closure.

Checking the water with her hand, Chun Li turned to search the bathroom for products before she noticed a note taped on her mirror. Now the detective was aggravated; she should have noticed the hilariously ridiculous bright red note on her vanity mirror.

Tearing off the note, she skimmed it. It was Bison's handwriting; beautiful, elegant, yet traces of psychopathic tendencies in his swirling cursive.

 _Detective,_

 _I'm glad you found my note. After you fell asleep, I forgot to mention we're having breakfast._

 _Hurry up and don't make me wait for you._

 _Someone will come by and pick you up. Try not to be too bitchy to them; they have long days like you._

 _Lord M. Bison_

Well, that solved the mystery that "M" did not stand for "Master" Bison unless he choose to be intentionally grammatically incorrect. Chun Li crumpled up his note and tossed it aside, throwing open a cabinet and finding her bathing products.

Clicking open the shampoo, she sniffed it. It was star fruit, one of her favorite scents. Turning over the ingredients bottle, Chun Li was surprised that Bison had chosen the exact same formula she used in her own apartment.

For a moment, she wondered if he had someone break into her place to check out her personal product affiliations or if he just gathered any information he could over the years…

Was there makeup as well? She tossed open a few drawers and found unopened lipstick containers, powders, and all kinds of beauty products. In fact, not only where the beauty containers the same as her old ones but at a much higher quality. One of the glass bottles of foundation was four hundred dollars per ten ounces!

Chun Li ran her fingers over the label before scoffing. He could buy her expensive makeup but claimed he couldn't give her a real doctor to look over her injuries because of "cost saving measures"?

The water was ready. She grabbed her shampoo and soap and stepped into the shower. The tiles were cold under her feet, a welcome relief from the rainforest muggy heat. Chun Li knew she could spend hours under the hard pressure of the showerhead as it massaged her shoulders but she knew better.

Nine minutes and 59 seconds later, she turned off the water and grabbed her towel. There was a moment of relaxation as the heat had worked into her body and calmed her resolve. For a bit there, she was clean and free of bruises, blisters, and hatred of Bison.

Chun Li buried her face into her towel as she walked into the bedroom before she felt another presence there. She lifted her head from the towel and saw a young, lavender haired girl in a dark blue uniform that reminded Chun Li of Cammy's outfit.

She supposed that everyone had a way into her room now. Chun Li wrapped the towel around her naked body, tying it at the top.

"Something you need?" She sarcastically asked and the young girl moved her feet into saluting position.

"Lord Bison sent me." The tone was robotic and soft, "I am Marz. I am here to assist you in getting ready and going to breakfast."

Chun Li grimaced at the young girl; she seemed so anxious and shy. Marz's voice was clearly cracking under speaking to her and Chun Li couldn't help but notice the light blonde roots on the top of her head. Bison probably dyes her hair in order to tell her apart.

Out of the corner of her eye, Chun Li spotted a light pink sundress laying on the bed. The young servant must have fished that out of the closet for her to wear-or worse, Bison instructed her to bring that dress. The dress was airy, sleeveless, and petite, a far cry from Chun Li's abrasive personality, but it was also excruciatingly short and hemmed very high.

"Tell Bison I'm not interested in him or his little doll clothes." Chun Li replied abruptly, taking a seat on the bed. Marz appeared worried, her small lips trembling.

"Detective Xiang, please don't make me tell him the bad news." Marz pleaded softly, stiffening at the very thought of a conversation with her superior, "He'll get angry and…"

Chun Li winced, understanding why Bison specifically chose her; if this girl made her feel sorry for her, she would play along with his game.

Well, Chun Li didn't know her well enough to care and quite frankly, the entire operation was a ploy.

"Final decision." Chun Li said, mimicking filing her nails to flout Marz's ebbing anxiety attack, "Go on. I'm sure he's watching anyway."

Marz gave a trembling salute and Chun Li watched her scurry off in fear. After a few minutes, Chun Li gave a satisfied smirk as the door reopened to reveal an annoyed dictator. Bison cautiously leveled his head as he strided in, crossing his arms. Marz followed behind him, shivering in fear. Chun Li could not see any physical harm fallen onto her but it was hard to tell at a distance.

"Do tell me why you're late to breakfast." Bison purred, "And not even dressed. I have the gracious idea to feed you and you reject it."

"I will not wear those clothes you provide." Chun Li simply said, "It's demeaning and quite honestly, sending your servants to check on me is insulting. Am I some dog that needs constant supervision?"

"And you choose to starve. Goodness. Apologies my fashion sense isn't so high and mighty as yours. I don't spend my time with the latest fashion trends." Bison mocked her, "I'm sure clothes do a fine job unless you want me to stick you in a g-string and call it a day."

"Lord Bison, I tried to explain…" Marz trailed off before Bison raised his hand to silence her.

"I'm certain you did your best." There was some caustic tone in response, "Some dogs have to be trained by the best."

That answered the dog question. Chun Li cleared her throat, standing up to gain better footing in this discussion. The towel gently tugged a little but it didn't slip over her bosom.

"I have no need to discuss motives here, Bison. I've explained myself, your servant has explained herself, and you've reiterated it. There's nothing else now." Chun Li said, "Surely you understand the end of an argument?"

"This is hardly an argument, Detective." He retorted, "This is a blatant attempt to be disobedient and provoke me, albeit, in the weakest scenario possible. You realize I could drug you, dress you myself, and drag you to breakfast? There's no winning here, Detective. It's just you without any winning hands."

Marz looked straight ahead at Chun Li, clearly confused at her lack of fear. Chun Li suspected that Marz may never have seen a woman stand up to Bison.

"Would you prefer running around naked? I have no qualms but…" Bison started to proffer.

As a act of rebellion, she shed her towel and placed her hand on her hip. Though Bison perceived himself as a god, she soon realized that he still had qualities of a man and his grin was evidenced by that. Marz, however, looked embarrassed and attempted to cover her eyes. Her fair face turned a bright red.

"...As I was saying." He cleared his throat, "The jungle here is very unforgiving to bug bites. I would hate to have your entire body covered in mosquito bites and malaria, you know. And some of these men haven't seen a beautiful women in several months. Without my protection, you might find yourself in compromising positions."

The threat of a violent sexual assault didn't deter her. She merely made a large gesture with her left arm.

"They're welcome to try." Chun Li challenged.

Bison hemmed at the thought, "Nobody is that good, Detective. I would question if this was just some fantasy you intended to play out without admitting it out loud. No judgements here, Detective, but I'd like to remind you that I don't have a maternity leave policy and you're definitely going to have a lot of reminders of your rash decision."

Her throat felt a little dry as he said that. Rape was one thing but being an unwanted mother was an entirely different monster she wasn't prepared for. Though she had her suspicions that Bison threatened death to anyone who would touch her, she couldn't take that risk.

"Fine. Leave." She accepted but wouldn't budge her stance, "So I can get dressed."

Bison turned to a thoroughly embarrassed Marz, motioning her with a slight of his head. "Leave, Agent Marz." He commanded and Marz nodded, quickly saluting before scurrying off. He turned back around.

"You as well." Chun Li added on.

He scoffed, "Am I missing something? You're already naked. The idea of me leaving would be so I wouldn't see that but you put that on full display."

Chun Li tapped her foot, crossing her arms, "Now."

Bison furrowed his brow in ridicule, "You do not give me orders, Detective. I never took a demand from a naked woman and you're not going to make me start now. Now, get dressed so I can finally tolerate your snide behavior over my coffee."

"Then turn around." She persisted, making him roll his eyes. Strange how she never saw him do that before. It was actually somewhat bizarre since he didn't have pupils.

"I'm definitely not going to turn my back on a woman who thinks I allegedly killed her father." He turned down, "That's just stupid."

"Then close your eyes." Chun Li wouldn't give up. Bison finally stopped and then jokingly took off his hat, tilting it in front of his face. She could have sworn he winked at her from behind the brim.

Chun Li accepted his compromise unwillingly, sliding on her underwear and sundress. She was dismayed to realize the damn dress wouldn't allow a bra but decided it wasn't worth fighting over again.

At least there were sandals and not heels. Bison had some sense of common decency instead of male fantasy.

"Let's go." She said with a flat tone, clearly done with this day. Bison placed his hat back on his head and then surmised her appearance.

"Not even your hair?" He queried with a sense of heavy condescending aura. Chun Li flipped a strand of her loose hair stubbornly, letting it fall back into place.

"Done." She announced. Bison chuckled a bit before motioning her out the door.

"Shall we, Detective?" He said, "Oh, don't worry. I'll escort you. Can't have a little thing like you get lost, can we?"

Chun Li walked straight ahead, not looking at him directly. She heard the door slide shut behind her and Bison easily keeping up with her strides. Her legs were long and quick but his pace was definitely able to match; his boots didn't make such a heavy thud when walking but he made it look intimidating nonetheless.

After about ten minutes, he motioned her into an open door.

"Here, Detective." Bison acknowledged their stop, "Your seat is next to mine. By the way, there's no steak knives so don't try to smuggle that anywhere. And with that short dress, you wouldn't be able to hide anything internally anyway."

So that was his reasoning for the sundress. Chun Li glanced at his face for a second before taking her seat right next to the head of the table. There were only two chairs and she suspected the nicer one was his. She was right, of course, as Bison comfortably took his seat.

Chun Li noticed that another young woman appeared, this time with dark brown hair. The young woman had a full pot of hot coffee and she poured it in the cup that sat before Bison.

"Santamu, please greet Detective Xiang." Bison ordered, making Santamu bow at her.

"It's lovely to have you, Detective Xiang." The girl addressed Chun Li, "I will be helping serve today."

Chun Li could only pause before, "This is probably the most disgusting thing I have ever seen and I've seen Vega take a heart from a live bull."

Santamu appeared shocked as Bison cracked another smile. He sipped his coffee as Santamu glanced back at Bison, expecting the worst.

"Oh really?" He finally said, "Can't be any worse than Vega consuming the heart of a live bull."

"I said he took it, not-"

"He eats them, Detective. I know this personally." Bison interrupted, "Now how is this so much worse than that because I can tell you, that's very high up there."

Chun Li took another look at Santamu, "You brainwashed these girls to serve you and please you. It's disgusting. A man like you should have more honor than playing skip rope with underage consent."

Bison leaned over, clasping his hands, "They're happy, aren't they? Maybe serving me makes some people happy. Look at F.A.N.G. He's happy. In a way. A strange, undiluted, masochist way towards me."

F.A.N.G did unnerve Chun Li; not because he was any good at his skill but because he did love Bison a little too much. At least the dictator acknowledged the creepiness that his subordinate had. The detective closed her eyes and jeered at the proposed theory Bison had.

"They don't know any different because you removed all that from their mind." Chun Li simply stated, "That's not happiness. That's slavery."

Santamu remained silent, the coffeepot tight in her hand. Bison rested his chin on his hand, smiling away as if this was all highly amusing to him.

"Says the woman who threw away every chance to be happy by tracking me down." Bison pointed out, "You don't even know what you're referring to when you speak of this emotion. You're just arrogant, as usual, and your posture speaks different volumes of overconfidence. Perhaps if I brainwashed you for a day to kneel at my feet, you could understand my position a little better."

Chun Li glared at him, her tongue angrily dragging across the edge of her top teeth in attempt to thwart her rage. Bison then turned his head to Santamu.

"Bring the plates out." He instructed, "And bring the detective water. Undrugged this time. She hates that."

"Do they even understand your sense of humor?" Chun Li said with irritability. Bison took another drink of his coffee.

"I mean, you don't even understand my sense of humor and you're not brainwashed." He said, "Is it wrong of me to find some light air in situations here and there? Besides, you're acting like they're dumb mannequins. They have feelings and whatnot."

Before Chun Li could reply, the young servant brought out two plates of food. A plate of fresh fruits and meats set in front of the detective and Chun Li looked down. God, it looked delicious; a far cry from rations and vaguely flavored powdered foodstuffs.

The last good thing she ate was the package of stale peanuts she had on the plane to Brazil.

Bison's food didn't look any different except he had some bowl of thick sauce next to his food. It smelled vaguely spicy and peppery.

She saw Bison begin to eat, strangely gentle and delicate with his utensils. It did click in her mind that he had good manners as any respectable wealthy man would but it was just strange seeing him accomplish something else besides fighting.

After a few minutes, Chun Li decided being poisoned was fine and stuck her fork into a mango slice. Hell, dying by fruit sounded amazing right now. The juicy, sweet slice slid down her throat and she thought she could orgasm from the taste alone. She almost forgot that Bison was there, watching her every move, and she completely forgot that she had to compose herself afterwards.

Where did he get all of this? She had perfectly ripe fruit before but this was heavenly.

Santamu was attentive to Bison's needs, constantly refilling his coffee and laboring over his breakfast choices. Chun Li felt somewhat awful for mistreating her and Marz but she couldn't help herself around those who feed Bison's ego…

A slice fell off her fork and into the cleavage of her dress. For a moment, Chun Li wondered if she could play it off and remove it later when he wasn't around but the honeyed juices started to become sticky. Taking her napkin, she fished out the errant mango slice from between her breasts.

"Did your father not teach you table manners?" Bison suddenly piped up, "Or do I have to hand-feed you?"

Chun Li dropped the slice on her napkin next to her plate, "It was an accident. Besides, would you rather have your servant girl fish it out for me?"

"She probably could have done it less conspicuously." Bison replied, "But fine. I enjoy a morning that starts with a woman fondling her breasts."

Chun Li turned a slight shade of pink before shaking the color away from her face. The sticky mess was still between her breasts but she opted to wait until later to clean it.

"You save all your good lines for your dreams?" Chun Li pushed back, "Perhaps you practice them in dreams and use the ones that work in real life?"

Bison set his coffee down, "What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Bison." She zeroed in on his sentence, "Last night? The dream that you have been avoiding talking about all morning?"

"What dream?" Bison queried.

"Don't lie to me, Bison." Chun Li accused him flatly.

"I have powers, yes, but I don't have the power to interfere or place dreams in your mind." Bison purred, "But now I'm very interested. What was it about? It must have been quite excellent if you are just a slight shade of anger."

At the core, Bison was perverted and disgusting. If only she could strike her fist across the side of his face but she didn't want to lose her life just yet.

"Play stupid, Bison. That's fine." Chun Li said, intentionally pushing her fork away, "Why am I here? And why exactly am I being forced to withstand this nonsense? I've had enough."

"You broke into my fortress. I've been treating you with shelter, healthcare, and food but you eschew all forms of pleasurable company for a stubborn disposition." Bison reminded her shortly, "Now, you can amicable or I can break you into the sweetest, gentlest little woman on this side of the Earth. I've no reason or business to hear out your tantrums so don't give me an opportunity to destroy every last shred of your spirit."

Chun Li said nothing before Bison tapped his fingers on the table.

"But now that you decided to bring it up, I do have a place for you." He stated, "There's a reason I decided to keep you alive and retaining your free will. I see you won't stop until I explain it."

She pushed her heel down tight on the floor, ready to attack if necessary, "What is it?"

"A proposition." Bison said, picking up his fork to place it on his plate, "Just one."

She stared at him, waiting for him to continue. He appeared to have gotten the hint because he cleared his throat, pressing forward in business. Bison snapped his fingers at Santamu and she bowed, clearing the dishes and leaving.

"I was pondering what you were saying last night and I've pulled your files...well, again. You have a doctorate in Psychology and your dissertation was on behaviors of psychopaths, namely isolating those who target women." Bison continued on, "And I thought to myself 'What the hell, I can get a free counseling session'. It'd be a shame to waste such talent in that field over petty bickering and arguing, wouldn't you say?"

The woman tightened her jaw in surprise. Bison was asking her to be his therapist? For what reason would he care about her clinical opinion? Not to mention that she had been out of the field for years.

"Why would you of all people care?" Chun Li didn't mask her blatant disbelief in him. He twitched into a smile, one of many hard to distinguish ones.

"Knowing my weakness and psyche is rather important to me. You have studied me for years so you must know me better than I know myself, Detective. I can only imagine you poring over your notes and case files, combining all your precious knowledge of my habits and patterns. You've uncovered a weakness of mine through all these years. Several, I figure, if you're quite good at your job and if I'm that transparent. What better way for a ruler to cement his power than to destroy any weakness?" Bison explained matter of factly, his hand to his chin as if he was the one studying her response, "And it would give you a first hands-on experience with the man you've been craving for so long. Unless...you wish to go back to your room and wither away from starvation and thirst."

Her lips pursed.

"If you want payment for services rendered, Detective, I'll be more than happy to. Name your price. There is nothing in this world I cannot provide." He declared rather confidently.

"My father." She shot back coolly. In return, he laughed.

"I think I remember where his body laid last. Would you like to know where it is?" Bison rose to her challenge, his white eyes leering in response. "That is, if his bones haven't turned to dust and-"

Chun Li bit the inside of her mouth, forcing her tantrum to ebb beneath her skin. He was provoking a response from her.

"Has anyone told you that you look particularly well for a pissed off woman?" Bison changed his focus, shifting his seat in his chair, "Tell me, Detective, or I decide you're simply not worth my effort."

"...Give me my freedom." Chun Li decided to bargain, her teeth grinding from stress, "And I'll compile a list."

"Not. Good. Enough." Bison waved his forefinger in a circle, trapezing over her words, "I want therapy sessions. One on one. Safe environment, I won't kill you, all that good stuff you need to keep breathing. We'll do it for a year. One year, today. And I will free you back into the world of the living, Detective. Imagine all the knowledge you can gain from me to use against me."

It was tempting-too tempting. Her brain worked the cogs in her mind, trying to decide. He wasn't serious about his offer but he was serious about letting her go.

She didn't have to tell him the truth about her consultation. She could feed him lies and hide away her real notes. But she had a suspicion that Bison would never truly be forthcoming about anything in his life, much less a joke.

"Fine. I agree." Chun Li accepted, "But on one condition."

"Let's entertain any sort of leverage you think you have. What is it?" Bison asked, setting his hand down on the table.

"I don't work for Shadaloo. In any capacity, form, or trite judgment." Chun Li stated clearly, "You do not get to say I work for this organization. I'm here as a prisoner against my will, not because I want to be."

Bison pretended to look hurt, "Oh, my. I had such good insurance plans too. Oh well. Fine. You don't work for me. Voila." He snapped his fingers, "Your wish is my command."

"Good." Chun Li stood up, "Is this ridiculous event over? I wish to be alone now."

Bison stood up as well, swiftly maneuvering his way in front of her. His arm stretched out to the small of her back, guiding her towards the door. Chun Li forced herself not to flinch, feeling her skin crawl.

"4:30 P.M. Today." He said as they exited, "That's our first appointment. I'll have Marz take you to the office. Oh. And please treat her better. She's probably crying into her pillow as we speak."


End file.
